"It's going to be alright."

"We demand a king for our country."

"We need a ruler."

"We require a leader to provide us with protection."

"Where has the King gone? a king who escaped."

The guards were failing to keep the townspeople from storming inside the castle. Like hordes of buffaloes, there were so many that it was impossible to count them all. People were going insane day by day, and the lands of fire were in a state of agony. In every direction of the land of fire, the weather wasn't good and wasn't favorable. Only countries in the east and north, where rulers are not needed, might offer them support. They even considered raiding or seizing such regions, but it was practically impossible. The only way to travel between the two kingdoms was through ships, which required dodging merciless pirates as the two lands were separated by rivers and oceans. Except for pirate invasions, the exceedingly complicated geography had protected the regions in the east and north. And the only left option was to ask them for assistance.

Although the ports were open and clear and they had been visited often by staff for more than a month, there was no evidence of any carrier ships. It's possible that the three ships that allegedly departed from Antares are still at sea. From the courthouse, Ezekiel could hear the roar of the crowd, It was becoming unbearably loud and chaotic. When the townspeople demanded a king, Ezekiel secretly felt unimportant. These are the people who recognized him as the representative king for all those preceding glorious years, and now these are the ones who are opposing him. He thought to himself, "They wanted a true king, not a bogus one like me." The soldiers used shields and spears to construct a defensive wall to keep the assailants out. While gathering in the garden, the locals tramped all over the beautiful flowers and plants that Princess Aura had planted. Ezekiel was compelled to leave his dejected form and make his way to the balcony as the cries and shouts grew louder. The event left him very shaken. Aggressiveness and rage were prevalent.

"Where is the King hiding?"

"The true king, did he run away?" A young girl maneuvered through the crowd after hearing the man yell and took a position in front.

As the throng continued to yell, she said, "He abandoned us years ago." The advisor would have handled it with ease if he had been in the castle at the time. He was sent to the harbor by Ezekiel to learn anything new about the cargo ships. Ezekiel raised his hand in the air, feeling defeated, and the crowd fell silent.

"May I know why our own people are acting in such an awful manner?"

"Your nation is in pain. Various state-based thugs are attacking us. They are plundering our resources and food. Deaths are occurring. The canals did us no favor because they could only accommodate half the population. We don't even have a king, so we might be attacked at any time. What are we going to do?" The entire group of men shouted their agreement after one of the men stated it loudly on their behalf. The last statement pierced Ezekiel's heart like a sword. He has held the title of king without being crowned for eleven years and now everything was going south for him. "Where has our great king Alaric gone? Who will guard our nation without a ruler? Who will safeguard us?" The man kept raising his voice, emphasizing each syllable with seriousness.

"The Crowned Prince certainly will." Ezekiel turned around to see who was speaking to him; it was Savannah, with the young prince alongside her. She moved a few steps forward to face the crowd while Ezekiel continued to look at her. "The King hasn't appeared in the last 11 years, and I doubt he ever will," said Savannah. Ezekiel was speechless as he merely stared at her. "The kingdom needs a king, and I believe no one other than prince Ezekiel himself is worthy of this position."

The man mocked, "Considering that we are famished right now, in his presence."

"You might be imprisoned for what you said, but our ruler is modest and genuinely concerned for his realm and his people. And if I may remind you, he ruled this country for 11 glorious years as a representative king. If I'm mistaken, correct me." The crowd quieted down once more. The people began muttering to one another while exchanging glances.

"We didn't experience any terrorist assaults in these 11 years, therefore yes, Prince Ezekiel had ruled this country and taken better care of us. Prince Ezekiel ought to rule our country." The throng nodded as the woman persuaded them with her argument. It was true that Ezekiel had dealt fairly and without any conflicts with decrees and other royal decisions.

"The prince will soon be crowned, the realm will have a king, and we will all have a leader." With a yell, savannah turned around abruptly and walked inside. The people began applauding Princess Savannah's choice and supporting Ezekiel.

Ezekiel and other were too stunned to speak, the crowd were silent and they started to back away slowly. Ezekiel was surprised by the powerful statement Savannah had said, it felt more like a command and it calmed the angry townspeople down. The masses of people soon departed the castle, and the royal attendants got to work clearing up the commotion's mess. Ezekiel made his way inside. His strides were agitated, and the sound of his boot striking the ground made it clear that he was indeed mad. He was both angry and mystified. How could Savannah break such serious information without first discussing it? Even so, it wasn't in the plans. Even Alaric himself didn't want that, and neither did he. He was coerced into it, but once he got the hang of it, he embraced itHis steps came to a halt for a little while at the area where the royal ancestral treasures were kept on display. His gaze drifted in the direction of the crown. The crown that was intended for the nation's monarch was the crown he never received for himself, and he never regretted it. So why did he feel differently now? An unexpected voice called out to him, interrupting his stream of thought.

"Your highness." He instantly recognized the voice—it was the voice he cherished dearly—but he felt a twinge of pain when his beloved Aura addressed him in a formal manner. Everything was changed that night five years ago, and that made Ezekiel even more hurt. He was beginning to feel alien and that the kid he had loved like his own daughter was not actually his. "Are you okay?" She inquired. Her voice no longer lingered with honey-like sweetness, but it felt raw. She had been ordered to stay inside the castle for all of her life, therefore it wasn't her fault. Even after Ezekiel removed the penalty, she did not go. She appeared to have intended for him to feel guilty, and she was successful in making him do so.

She was aware of everything, including the cries of the populace for a legitimate king, Ezekiel's lack of a crown, and Savannah's proclamation of the coronation. Everything was heard by her. And Ezekiel felt he had to respond since it must have sparked a lot of questions in her mind. The information that had been withheld from her was slowly coming to light. After all, nothing is ever truly hidden.

"Everything is fine... for now." Ezekiel replied as he didn't know what to say to her. He will tell Aura the truth, which is being kept from her, but not right off the bat. He retreated his steps back and marched towards his room where probably Savannah was. Aura saw him going further in the corridor, his cape flowing with each step he took. "I'm sorry princess, but you'll know at the right time." he mumbled to himself as he saw Aura retracing her steps back through his shoulder. He attempted numerous times to ease their tension, but things constantly escalated and ended with one of them crying.

Ezekiel stormed into his room, where Savannah was fisting the sheets on the edge of the bed. She raised her face to meet Ezekiel's angry stare. "What was it? How can you make this decision on your own?" He yelled after closing the door. Savannah sprang up, furious, and proceeded to close the windows and draw the curtains.

"I was left wondering what to do. Brother isn't here, and nobody knows when he'll return, and you're still the representational king, so you rule." Savannah sneered.

"But we could have talked about it."

"There wasn't enough time to talk. Our people needed a king, and Aura is still a young girl." As the words became trapped in his throat, Ezekiel rubbed his face furiously. Even though he was aware that this choice was impetuous, it seemed appropriate nonetheless. " Sooner or later, the adversaries will also be aware."

"What about my brother's will, though?"

"Brother isn't here." Savannah grits her teeth and spoke. And we won't deprive her of her dominion." Savannah walked over to Ezekiel, who was idly standing there and bewilderedly scanning the area. "Hey, look at me, look at me." She cupped both of her palms around Ezekiel's face. "Our people require you. This nation requires a leader. We don't know when our adversaries might attack us because we know the king is not here. Then, after everything is in order, we will prepare for Aura's coronation. But first, we have to keep our people quiet." Her eyes began to well up with tears as she struggled to convey the gravity of the situation and why it was essential. Even Ezekiel himself was in tears. The kingdom where he was raised was in dire straits. Did his brother truly flee, leaving them all in disarray? He asked himself a series of questions, and while he did, he imagined a very negative image of his brother. His brother was already being labeled a traitor and a runaway by the state. "We have to keep this kingdom alive. You must keep this kingdom together." Ezekiel cupped his hands around Savannah's and pressed his forehead against hers. "Everything is going to be okay; it's going to be okay,"

"Everything will be fine,"

Life is incredibly erratic. One second everything is great, then the next it's like a horrible nightmare. Respect is won over many years of sacrifice, but it may be lost in the space of a single moment. Alaric was uninformed of the state's growing hate for him, which it expressed by labeling him a "runaway," and of how Princess Aura was being treated as a result. Everybody's lives were becoming entangled, like thin, fragile strands that may break if attempted to be untangled. However, the choice was unknown to the advisor, Mr. Levin. What would transpire once he returned? He was usually present when crucial decisions were made. However, he was currently waiting for the supplies that could feed the nation on the port on the west side.

"Sir, we have a sighting." A man said, who must probably be the lookout. A ship was spotted sailing toward the port from out in the distance. It was identified as a cargo ship by the green flag flying from it. Eventually, the ships began to arrive with the stocks up until a long-term solution was arranged.

"Open the pier and clean the ports." The adviser gave the employees orders. The ship was far larger than they had anticipated. Antares is a commercial land positioned between the seas, therefore it was justified. The dock workers leaped for joy as the ship came slowly. A man exited the ship with an envelope and a stack of documents. Mr. Levin extended a proper handshake in greeting.

"Are you, Levin, the royal advisor?" The man enquired. The counselor was perplexed by his reaction and wondered how he had learned his name. Prince Ezekiel's name and a royal stamp were on every letter that was sent.

"Yes."